Queensland’s stalled 2032 Olympic bid talks open way for cashed-up rival Qatar to catch up
With so many world-class facilities already in place, Queensland had a massive head start over everyone else when discussions over hosting the 2032 Olympics stalled. But the game has changed completely now.
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Australian Olympic boss John Coates says government will need to present its masterplan on Brisbane’s bid to host the 2032 Olympics before it can resume talks with the final decision makers amid fears a cashed-up rival could pinch the biggest sports event on the planet.
Once considered an almost unbackable favourite to be awarded the 2032 Games, Southeast Queensland is now being challenged by Qatar, the oil-rich Arab state that has been using its enormous wealth to secure major international sports events, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Despite concerns about its human rights record and scorching summer heat, Qatar has made no secret of its desire to bring the Games to the Persian Gulf for the first time.
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Qatar’s rulers have tried – and failed – before but have suddenly thrown their hand in the ring for 2032 after Queensland’s positive talks with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were put on hold because of the global pandemic.
Coates, who was recently re-elected as vice-president of the IOC, is prevented from discussing any rival bids so said Australia’s only concern should be in presenting its own pitch the best way possible.
“Our focus is totally on our own proposal,” he told News Corp Australia.
“We know the opportunity that this will present for jobs and sport and health wellbeing generally in Australia so we’ll continue to focus on that.”
Under the new rules for bidding, created to reduce costs as more and more countries baulk at hosting the Games, bidders now work hand-in-hand with the IOC to develop their proposals rather than engage in all-out bidding war.
With so many world-class facilities already in place, Queensland had a massive head start over everyone else when the discussions stalled because of COVID-19 and Coates said it was now up to the government to decide if and when to reopen those talks.
“Once we take it through the candidature leadership group we should take to the IOC and accelerate the discussion,” he said.
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“The IOC has already got the benefit of the feasibility study from the council of mayors of Southeast Queensland and they’ve already got the summary of the value add proposition, which the Queensland government has undertaken to validate what the councils had said and which led to their cabinet to give the go ahead to send it
“So they’ve got two very big books and now it’s just interacting with them to see if they‘ve got any other suggestions.”
Coates, whose many hats include being chairman of the co-ordination commission for the postponed Tokyo Olympics, was upbeat about the prospect of the Games proceeding next year, regardless of whether a vaccine is approved by then.
Both the IOC and the Japanese government have been unequivocal in their determination that the Olympics will go ahead 12 months later than planned and Coates said plans were being developed for every possible scenario.
“We are going ahead on the basis there won’t be a vaccine,” he said.
“There seems to be some encouraging signs but again there is always the issue of the production of that and if it is going to be available, and to what nations.
“The greatest challenge is the uncertainty at the moment.
“Once we identify all the different scenarios that will be with us in a year’s time, we will look at the counter measures that will need to be taken, that will be finalised later in the year when we have a better feeling of where we are at with COVID-19.”